Our district has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with significant findings in the caves of the Montgrí massif and the important megalithic complex conserved in the Gavarres and the Cadiretes massif. The Romans left many imprints of their presence here, as they did throughout their empire. There are few signs, in contrast, of the passage of the Visigoths and Moors, since the proximity with the kingdom of the Franks quickly led to the creation of independent Catalan counties headed by feudal lords. The county that included most of the lands of the Baix Empordà was the county of Empúries. The medieval period is the one that has left the largest and most visible imprint on our architecture and town planning, as is demonstrated by the numerous villages conserving castles and other remains from this period.

The Baix Empordà also suffered the crises of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries: bandits, pirates, natural disasters, wars, the Decree of Nueva Planta (‘new organisation’). And in the early 19th century, the dreadful Peninsular War against Napoleon, which left a very deep scar in the minds of the population. Just when a certain economic recovery was taking shape, there was the phylloxera epidemic which decimated the winemaking industry and caused a serious economic and social disaster, driving many Empordanese people to emigrate to Spain’s American colonies. At the end of the century, with the ‘Catalan Renaissance,’ there emerged a powerful associative spirit embodied by the cultural centres called ateneus and the political parties. By the early 20th century, Spain had lost its last American colony, Cuba, and was suffering from growing political instability with coups d’état, a dictatorship, then the advent of the Republic. This turbulent political, social and economic atmosphere finally led to the outbreak of the Civil War. Our region, being close to the frontier, saw many of its people perish or be forced into exile in France. Later, the tourism boom gave new energy to the Empordanese economy. In 1978 democracy was finally restored, and with it the freedom to enjoy our traditions, our language and our culture.